Preventive Maintenance

Outdoor central air units house a condenser coil, compressor, blower and other vital parts. While outdoor units are generally well built and can withstand the elements, such as strong storms, heavy rains and winds, less alarming aspects of the great outdoors can still bring cooling and heating efficiency to a stand still.

Debris and vegetation, such as grass clippings, pine needles, dandelion seeds, leaves and anything else blowing through the yard, can clog the cabinet or find a way inside the cabinet and stick to the condenser and fins. Here are some basic steps your HVAC pro will follow to clean your outdoor central air unit:

• Remove all debris from the cabinet.
• Remove blockages from around the cabinet, such as tall weeds and barriers.
• Open the access panel to the condenser coil.
• Brush and wipe away loose debris from the condenser and fins.
• Use compressed air or water to clean out the cabinet base.
• Spray a coil-cleaning solution on the condenser and fins, letting it penetrate for 30 minutes.
• Wipe the blower blades, clean the blower compartment and check the blower motor (oil when applicable).
• Check the compressor and the refrigerant lines for leaks.
• Measure refrigerant charge.
• Gently clean the condenser and fins, being careful not to bend the fragile fins. A firm wire brush may be used to remove debris and straighten bent fins.
• Check electronics, reverse valves (heat pump) and other vital functions before continuing with your indoor air-handling unit’s preventive maintenance routine.

If you’d like to remove all the debris from your outdoor central air unit, please contact Jackson & Sons today. We’ve been serving residents in Eastern North Carolina for 40 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about outdoor central air units and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Lisa F. Young/Shutterstock”

Potential Damage Caused by Humidity

• Mold and mildew in flooring. Carpeting and hardwood flooring offer an ideal environment for mold and mildew growth. If you notice a musty smell coming from your carpet, you’ll need to replace your carpet, padding and maybe even your sub-floor. Mold and mildew can contribute to poor indoor air quality.
• Damage to drywall and plaster. The dry material within your walls can attract and retain moisture. Rooms with high levels of humidity are especially susceptible to this problem. Moisture can cause wall material to swell up and stain. It can also be a breeding ground for mold and mildew.
• Condensation and damaged insulation in the attic. Having humidity in your attic is almost unavoidable during North Carolina summers. However, when levels get too high, moisture can build up on the underside of your roof, damaging the decking. Condensation can also drip onto your insulation, rendering it useless.
• Bubbling and peeling paint. Even if humidity doesn’t damage plaster and drywall, it can cause surface paint to peel off. While this is mainly cosmetic in nature, it will cost you more money to repaint rooms time and time again.
• Damp basement or crawlspace. Moisture in your basement or crawlspace can penetrate foundation walls, as well as floor joists. This is a prime breeding ground for mold and mildew, as well as termites and other wood-eating pests.

Room-sized dehumidifiers can clear small pockets of humidity within your home, but you should rely on a whole-house dehumidifier to treat your entire home. Contact the humidity experts at Jackson & Sons in Northern Carolina today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about dehumidifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Mario7/Shutterstock”

Filters Capture But Don’t Kill

Simply filtering the airflow in a furnace system doesn’t neutralize odor-producing microorganisms. In fact, bacteria and mold spores may actually thrive inside filter media and continue to reproduce. Certain wavelengths of ultraviolet light can penetrate the DNA of these airborne spores, destroying their ability to replicate. When reproduction ceases, odors from mold and mildew are eliminated.

How UV Shines

An HVAC professional can install compact ultraviolet light tubes in strategic locations inside your ductwork. A typical residential system moves about 1,400 cubic feet of air through ducts every minute. Airflow through these ducts will be continuously exposed to the disinfecting power of UV lights, suppressing the population of microorganisms present in the air.

Since the entire volume of air inside your home circulates through the ducts several times every day, UV lights can help maintain whole-house control of odors on a sustained basis.

For Air Conditioners Too

Your HVAC contractor can explain how the same ultraviolet lights that eliminate furnace odors can also benefit your central A/C. Wet A/C evaporator coils are a perfect environment for mold growth that can spread toxic spores throughout your home, spawning odors and even impacting energy efficiency by interfering with system airflow.

Studies have shown that installing a dedicated ultraviolet light near the coil can eliminate mold on this critical component to reduce odors and substantially improve HVAC performance and energy efficiency.

For more information on the proven benefits of UV lights in your HVAC system, contact the professionals at Jackson & Sons in Eastern North Carolina.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about UV lights and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Plume Photography/Shutterstock”

Single-Room vs. Whole-House Appliances

If your air quality problem is exclusive to one specific area in your home, then you might want to consider a single-room or portable humidifier. These models are often cheaper and can remove cigarette smoke from a particular room.

Whole-house air purifiers are connected to your home’s HVAC system and provide a house-wide solution to air pollution problems. While they can be more expensive, they’re generally more quiet and efficient, leaving you with cleaner air throughout your home.

Filter Types

Air purifiers come with several different types of filters. The one you choose ultimately depends on what type of pollutant you’re trying to remove. Below are three of the most common filters:

• HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters remove a minimum of 99.7% of .03 micron particles and are great for removing dust, mold and pet dander. These filters are found in most portable units.
• Charged media filters combine particle filters with an electrostatic charge. While these filters are able to effectively eliminate .01 microns, they lose their efficiency very quickly.
• Activated carbon filters are usually used in combination with other filters. These filters are great for removing odors and gases.

Efficiency

Air purifier efficiency is measured by the amount of particles it’s able to capture, as well as the amount of air it’s able to purify within a given time frame. There are several ratings that reflect the performance of a unit. Be sure to compare and contrast these ratings based on your needs.

For more tips on selecting an efficient air purifier for your home call Jackson & Sons today. We’ve been serving the Eastern North Carolina area since 1974.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air purifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Lukiyanova Natalia Frenta/Shutterstock”

Fortunately, you don’t have to wait to start protecting your home from expensive damage. Both DIY and professionally-installed surge protection technology are available for protecting your home from power surges.

Single Outlet Devices

Point-of-use surge protection devices (SPD) include the familiar individual standalone surge suppressors plugged into a wall or incorporated into outlet strips. These commercially-available products can protect one or a few small consumer electronic devices plugged into a single outlet.

When shopping, keep in mind that outlet strips and adapters don’t usually incorporate surge protection, unless it specifically states otherwise in the manufacturer’s specs. These devices offer no protection to hard-wired major electronics or other devices that don’t plug into standard outlets, including appliances and HVAC equipment. SPDs include surge-protected outlets that can be installed by a professional electrician to replace standard wall outlets.

Whole-House Protection

Service entrance surge protection devices are considered “whole-house” surge protection. These devices are permanently installed by a professional electrician at the electric meter or main electrical panel in the house, monitoring all incoming electricity. Because protection isn’t limited only to specific outlets, all devices that receive power in your house are safeguarded against surges entering from the grid.

The Best of Both

Many electricians recommend utilizing both SPDs and whole-house service entrance protection for maximum defense against all potential surge sources.  For instance, voltage from nearby lightning may bypass a service entrance suppressor as the surge enters your home through non-electrical wiring, infiltrating your electrical system.

For more advice and expertise about protecting your home from power surges in Eastern North Carolina, contact Jackson & Sons.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about power surges and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “sibgat/Shutterstock”

Factors That Affect Size

Your home’s cubic footage can impact the size of  a gas furnace, but it’s just one of many factors. These include your home’s:

• Insulation levels in walls, attic and flooring.
• Types of windows, their location, size and energy efficiency.
• Air leakage rates.
• Floor plan type and layout.
• Heat-producing activities indoors.
• Family size and ages.
• Landscaping factors.
• Preferred temperatures.

HVAC professionals use this detailed data about your home to arrive at a baseline BTU size using Manual J software. The next step involves fine-tuning the size by looking at its efficiency. Gas furnaces are rated by the amount of fuel they use to create heat versus the amount that’s wasted as combustion gases.

Selecting Efficiency Ratings

The AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) of a gas furnace indicates its efficiency. The least efficient system has an 80 AFUE, which means it transforms 80 percent of the fuel it uses for heat. Furnaces are available that have AFUE ratings up to 98 percent. These systems, known as condensing furnaces, waste a mere 2 percent of the fuel they use.

Selecting a more efficient furnace lets you pick a smaller unit. Better fuel utilization results in lower heating cost, so you can start saving immediately. This process is very important because a furnace that’s too large will run in short cycles, inadequately heating parts of your home further from the air handler. Frequent starts and stops also drive up energy consumption, wearing down the parts. In contrast, a system that’s too small may not keep up with the colder weather we experience.

For help with accurately sizing a gas furnace, contact Jackson & Sons. We’ve been providing outstanding HVAC services for Eastern North Carolina homeowners since 1974.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about gas furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “B-Calkins/Shutterstock”

Heating and cooling may be inconsistent from room-to-room, especially when HVAC components, like the blower fan, are over-stressed. Most HVAC duct systems are designed to generate as little air resistance as possible. However, only a professional with the proper technology and expertise can evaluate existing ductwork to identify and eliminate sources of air resistance.

In addition to measuring airflow at various points in your system and assessing air balance in individual rooms, some techniques to reduce air resistance in HVAC ducts, include:

• Checking and replacing system air filters. A clogged filter or one that obstructs airflow excessively is the most common cause of resistance on the return side of the HVAC duct system. Replacement filters should be matched to system air volume by selecting the appropriate MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating.
• Clearing individual room vents. Dust and debris often accumulate inside supply vent outlets, eventually obstructing airflow through the vent. A technician will remove your vent covers, thoroughly clean the vent screen and vacuum the inside of your ductwork.
• Verifying damper positions. Most residential ductwork incorporates adjustable dampers that regulate the flow of air to individual rooms to maintain proper air balance. Over the years, dampers may loosen and partially close, restricting airflow. Generally located in areas inaccessible to the average homeowner, damper adjustment is a job for a professional.
• Inspecting internal surfaces. With the proper tools and access, a trained HVAC technician can identify internal sources of airflow restriction. These may include collapsed or crushed segments of flexible duct or ductwork with deteriorating internal insulation obstructing free airflow. Excessive elbows and other joint can also contribute to increased air friction and reduce airflow.

For more information about air resistance in your Eastern North Carolina home, contact Jackson & Sons.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about duct systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “alexwhite/Shutterstock”

A clean HVAC system that functions properly is vital for keeping your home comfortable with great indoor air quality. Your HVAC system should be inspected both before and after it is professionally cleaned.

There are certain steps a professional will carry out when inspecting your heating and cooling system. These include:

• Checking your thermostat to make sure all functions are working correctly. Your heating and cooling system should turn off at the correct temperature.
• Making sure there are no loose electrical connections.
• Listening for squeaking or other sounds that can indicate malfunction.
• Checking for clogs in your condensate drain. If this drain is clogged, it can cause mold and other types of water damage in your home.
• Replacing or cleaning air filters to ensure your system runs efficiently and that the air in your home is clean.
• Checking your air conditioning coils for dust buildup. These coils need to be clean for your air conditioner to run efficiently.
• Looking for system damage, such as duct leaks and holes in insulation.
• Inspecting the flame in your furnace to make sure it’s blue. A steady blue flame indicates that your furnace if working properly. A dirty yellow one indicates combustion problems.

If you want to find out more about having your home’s HVAC system professional inspected, contact Jackson & Sons. Our HVAC experts have been servicing homes in Eastern North Carolina for more than 40 years and will be happy to help you.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Laschon Maximilian/Shutterstock”

Pops, Bangs and Grumbles

A variety of minerals are present in our water, whether it’s from a municipal, spring or well water source. Over time, these mineral will collect at the bottom of your water heater tank. If your tank isn’t flushed regularly, the mineral deposits can accumulate and cause trouble.

When the bottom of your tank is heated by burner or electric elements, the minerals are disrupted by rising bubbles, which can cause popping, banging or grumbling noises.

What to Do

There are preventive maintenance strategies that can be used to prevent popping and banging noises in your water heating system. Preventive maintenance helps your entire water heating system last longer and work more efficiently.

• Mini flushes should be performed every few months. Hold a bucket beneath the drain bib located at the bottom of your tank. Then, release about one gallon of water.
• Full system flushes should be performed annually. You may do this yourself or leave it to your HVAC professional. The steps for completely flushing your tank, include cutting the power and fuel (gas systems), turning off the inflowing water pipe, attaching a hose to the drain bib and draining the entire storage tank. Make sure you run the hose to a safe place to discharge 60 to 80 gallons of water. Then, turn the water inlet pipe back on and continue flushing for five minutes. You can reverse these steps to refill your tank.
• The anode rod in a water heater is a sacrificial device that attracts minerals and other impurities away from your tank’s bottom to prevent corrosion and early failure. The anode rod should be replaced every three years. Once it’s depleted, your storage tank can more easily corrode, rust and fail. Ask your HVAC professional to flush your tank when replacing the anode rod to keep your water heater in good shape.

For more water heater tips for your Eastern North Carolina home, please contact Jackson & Sons.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “studio BM/Shutterstock”

Use an Attic Tent

An attic tent is just what it sounds like – a framed piece that sits over the opening for the attic stairs, and can be lifted out of the way as needed for attic access. It significantly reduces air leaks from uninsulated stairs.

Install a Zippered Cover

A zippered cover is a simple, but permanent air leak solution. It should be large enough to accommodate the bulk of your attic’s folded-up stairs. Fasten the cover in place with staples, and then caulk the edges to eliminate air leaks. Then, simply unzip the cover to access the attic.

Create an Insulated Hatch

Properly insulating a hatch is a little time-consuming, but it’s by far the most effective way to insulate attic stairs. Build a hinged frame around the opening in your attic that’s tall enough to accommodate the folded stairs. Then, cover the frame with plywood. Using industrial-strength glue, attach high R-value foam insulation board all around the outside of the hatch. Once finished, the hatch can be pushed open on its hinges when needed, or you can rig a counterweight pulley from the rafters to automatically open the hatch whenever the stairs are pulled down.

If you’re less inclined to perform DIY projects, a thick polystyrene frame and hatch cover is easy to install and provides similar levels of insulation. Just seal the edges of the pull-down stairs with weatherstripping for an additional thermal and air barrier.

For more pointers on how to insulate attic stairs, or if your interested in having an attic tent installed, contact Jackson & Sons today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about insulating attic stairs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Juergen Faelchle/Shutterstock”